Save You
by O'MiaLove
Summary: Kind of AU. What if the smallest of actions could rewrite your future? Lucas and Peyton's days from after the proposal debacle leading up to Luke's first book signing.


**A/N: Song by Kelly Clarkson from her newest CD. It's awesome and they lyrics are amazing. I thought that it fit perfectly! The inspiration from that song let me come up with this crazy concoction that I like to call a one shot.**

She has always been a light sleeper and any insignificant noise would wake her from her slumber. That's where Brooke's nickname for her 'Sleeping Bitchy' had originated from, but it wasn't her fault that she was so grouchy in the mornings; if the birds sitting on her window seal didn't have to chirp so loudly in the first place then she would have been as cheery as her best friend.

Hearing the door close caused her to stir awake. She called out for him, but when there was no answer she knew the room was empty and all that was keeping her company was the mixed CD he decided to give back. And with days like these she realized that she would rather be a heavy sleeper who ignored the slightest sounds of the door clicking shut as she cried herself back to sleep hoping that when she woke up that it would have all been just a dream.

_I Can Tell  
I Can Tell  
How much You hate This  
Deep Down Inside  
You Know It's Killing Me  
I Can Call, Wish You Well  
And Try To Change This  
But Nothing I Can Say  
Would Change Anything_

He met with his new editor and they had dinner that night. She went on to say how much of a fan she was of his writing and the way he portrayed the love between Luke and Peyton was something even a blind person could see. She quickly followed with a question wondering if they were still together and when Lucas told her they hadn't made it her heart broke just a little.

Meeting up with an old friend from high school wasn't on his list, but when he ran in to Brooke Davis the celebration still continued. She quickly ended the night when he had kissed her telling him that he had just made the second stupidest mistake in less than twenty-four hours, the first was walking out on her best friend, because even though he didn't want to admit it he still loves Peyton. She gives the drunken man some good advice that he'll remember when he's sober. Become a better person and go after her.

_Where Were My Senses  
I Left Them All Behind  
Why Did I Turn Away_

It's been weeks since Peyton's heart shattered. It's hard not to think about it, but when she figured out that working kept her thoughts at bay she took every opportunity that came her way to pick up shifts and run even the most absurd of errands which had turned her weekly 40 hours into double that time. She'd work all day and if sleep wasn't a necessity than she would work through that too. Nights were the worse because nothing could stop her dreams from turning into night terrors.

She was grabbing coffee for that jerk of a guy, Blake, who still couldn't even remember her name calling her Jane and another time Mary Joleisa. To any other person she looked like an agitated customer when she put her hands below her hips, but what they didn't realize is that the young woman had been experiencing abdominal pains and nausea for the last couple of days. It was too late she hit the floor before anybody was able to catch her.

"Someone call 911."

Was the last thing Peyton heard before the darkness consumed her.

_I Wish I Could Save You  
I Wish I Could Say To You  
I'm Not Going Nowhere  
I Wish I Could Say To You  
It's Gonna Be Alright  
It's Gonna Be Alright_

When you practically live in New York City's Upper East Side it was hard not to run into the other people who happened to coexist there too. So when Lucas ran into Brooke again he had to admit that he didn't remember a damn thing from their night out a couple weeks ago. She was reluctant at first, but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him, right? So it was decided that she wanted to meet the editor who was going to help her friend turn into a better man for Peyton.

"So, Lindsay, how's it like working with Lucas?"

Brooke had asked as soon as their main entrée was set in front of them.

"I'm sure I'm about getting on her last nerve."

Lucas smiled. It was true to the fact that they had worked long hours and sometimes into the nights, but in the end it was all worth it. He had to make everything perfect, he had to make sure that the world would fall in love with Peyton Sawyer the same way he had.

Before Lindsay was able to answer the sound of the shrill ringing broke through the conversations. Quickly apologizing she reached into her bag and retrieved the phone surprised etched in every one of her features as she read the name on the screen.

"Peyton?" She questioned concerned forgetting about the man sitting next to her whos heart was equally broken. They hadn't spoken in over a year and why else would she be calling unless it was an emergency. "Nick? Nick who?" There was sudden anger in the girl who still had hopes of a Lucas and Peyton reunion. "Oh." The anger was gone. "What?!" Shock was its replacement.

Lucas stood hearing the one sided conversation not getting much answers on who this Nick guy was and why he was calling from Peyton's phone. There was never a day that went by when he didn't think of her; about his actions that very day. Only if he hadn't let his pride get in the way of his heart.

_I Didn't Mean  
Didn't Mean  
To Leave You Stranded  
Went Away Cause I  
Didn't Want To Face The Truth_

Opening her eyes the fluorescent lighting caused her to shut them quickly. She couldn't remember where she was or why the only sounds she heard was that of consistent beeping, the aching of her back from an uncomfortable bed, the stinging of her arm where it felt like something had been forcefully shoved in enough to leave a small bruise, and a voice that she recognized. Slowly squinting her eyes open for a second time she spotted Nick looking out the window talking to someone on the phone.

"…I'm just letting you know there's no reason for you to come out here…Yes, Brooke, I understand that she's your best friend, but she's fine now…She just had a little fall that's all…I did no such thing to her…"

"Why are you talking to Brooke?"

"See I told you she's going to be fine…" He had looked back to find Peyton sitting up before going back to the conversation on the phone. "No, I'm not lying just to get you off the phone…I swear she's fine…I will not take a picture of her right now to prove to you that she's awake…because she looks dreadful, but who doesn't in those hideous hospital gowns."

Walking towards the hospital bed he held Peyton's cell phone towards her.

"She wants to speak with you."

"Hey, Brooke."

"_P. Sawyer. What the hell happened? I get a call from some guy Nick who you may or may not be seeing telling me that you fell and you're in the h-"_

She could hear uproar on Brooke's side of the phone, she wasn't alone, but Peyton swore she heard Lucas' voice rambling on and being quickly shushed by her friend.

"Firstly, Nick's a friend-"

"_Uh huh."_ She said in a none believing tone.

"Who happens to cheer for the other team."

"_What? Oh, he's…I see."_

"And secondly I'm fine, really."

Nick could be heard in the background 'The doctor says you had extreme dehydration.'

"_That doesn't seem fine to me."_

"So I may have forgotten to eat or drink anything on a regular basis."

"_How is it hard to forget? When your stomach rumbles you're hungry. When your throat is parched you're thirsty. I don't see you wondering what those sensations are P. Sawyer."_

"I won't ignore those feeling anymore, but I have to go the doctor just came in. Oh and Brooke don't tell anyone about this, okay? Not Nathan or Haley and especially not Luke."

"_Peyton I don't think this is something that should be ke-"_

"Brooke just promise me."

And she pinky swore that she wouldn't tell a soul not even the man who unknowingly to Peyton had been sitting next to Brooke the entire time quickly bombarding her with questions as soon as she got off the phone. But when Brooke Davis made a promise she swore to keep it even if it wasn't the right thing to do.

_Reaching Out  
Reach For Me  
Empty Handed  
You Don't Know if I Care  
You're Trying To Find The Proof_

Marking an X on the calendar showing that another day had ended the first year anniversary of their break up was coming closer and closer. He would ask everyday what the phone call concerning Peyton had been all about; all Brooke would say was 'don't worry she's fine.' But how could he not worry? He had seen the look on her face when she first heard the news of something he had yet to find out.

"I've got great news." Lindsay spoke walking into the café that they had decided to meet at. "The book tour is a go. Our first stop Los Angeles, California, you can't get better publicity than that and you already have hundreds of thousands of people who love your story."

He had followed the advice to become a better person and a better writer now all that was left to do was approach Peyton and see if she would come back.

"Of my autobiography." He corrected.

She nodded her head as they went over some final details of all the cities on the west coast they were going to cover in the span of three weeks. That meant a new town every night, but at the moment he couldn't concentrate on anything but his first location.

Hours later he had found himself packing his bags his finger hovering over the green 'send' button. What exactly would he say to her? He didn't have a speech prepared or even his next words after hello. Shutting his eyes he pressed the button bringing the phone to his ear as he counted the sounds of the rings. One. Two.

""_Hello?""_

""Hey, it's Lucas. Um. I know it's been a while, but um. I'm having a book signing in LA in a couple of days…""

""_Yeah I know. I mean I uh, read about it.""_

""Yeah, I've been pacing the house for the last hour wondering if I should call. I just…considering how we left things.""

""_No it's okay; it's actually really good to hear your voice.""_

""Yours too. Well I was hoping um, I'd love to see you if you're not too busy.""

""_Um. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sure, I'll be there.""_

""That's great Peyton. Well then I, I'll see you soon then?""

""_Yeah, see you soon.""_

Hanging up the phone he couldn't help doing a victory dance across the kitchen's hardwood floor the smile that's been gone for too long finally returning.

"What's got you acting like the white rabbit that finally got his Trix?"

Nathan comes rolling into the kitchen bringing a halt to the awful moves of his brother. Neither of them had the dancing gene.

"I just called Peyton. She's coming to my book signing."

"That's great man. It's about time the two of you get back together. Just don't put her back into the hospital again with a-"Pausing Nathan quickly realized what he was saying wanting to slap himself across the forehead. "So how about those Bobcats?"

"What do you mean in the hospital?" Trying to persuade Lucas into another conversation wasn't going to work as Nathan would soon come to learn because all the while his brother had been racking for hidden memories and none of the place with the white walls that smelt like chlorine and Peyton being admitted never corresponded. "I don't want to hear about the Bobcats and their season. Tell me what you meant about Peyton being in the hospital."

Signing Nathan gave in. Brooke was going to kill him and if Haley knew she would burn his dead corpse for keeping something like this away from her knowledge.

"Brooke called a couple months back to check up on Jamie. It was when Haley had took him to the doctor for a checkup and when I had told her where they were she might have accidently let it slip that Peyton had collapsed from severe dehydration which led her to become a patient at the Kaiser Permanente over there."

Why had not anyone told him about this?

"When?"

"Luke-"

"Nate, when did this happen?"

"A month after things ended between the two of you."

_There Were Times I'd Wonder  
Could I Have Eased Your Pain  
Why Did I Turn Away _

I Wish I Could Save You  
I Wish I Could Say To You  
I'm Not Going Nowhere  
I Wish I Could Say To You  
It's Gonna Be Alright

It's Gonna Be Alright ( Alright )  
It's Gonna Be Alright (Save You)  
It's Gonna Be Alright ( I Wish I Could Save You )

Peyton couldn't believe she was late to his book signing. She had taken a personal day off work just for today. And here she was hours overdue. She made her way down the seemingly empty streets to the Barnes and Noble's in The Grove at the Farmers Market. The line had descended and from what she had heard on the TV earlier that morning while she was trying to find something to wear the lines had been extremely long as fans waited to get there book signed from the man who created True Love Always.

Walking into the book store there wasn't too many people a couple here and there hidden in the aisles. She had asked where the signing was currently happening and one of the workers had pointed to the Romance section. Walking towards the back of the store she watched as two people began to gather up their belongings; one of those bodies belonged to him.

"Today went by great."

The unknown woman spoke holding a framed poster that sat perched up on the chair.

"Yeah."

It sounded like he didn't think so; both their eyes glued to the poster not noticing his number one fan as she walked up to them.

"I hope it's not too late to get my book autographed."

Lucas could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Peyt." Looking up he smiled not thinking twice about bringing her into his arms. He didn't need her to apologize for arriving late because she was here and that's all he cared about. "I'm so glad you came."

"Me too, Luke." She brought her face away from his chest to look him in the eyes. She was sure her eyes held the same kind of emotion that was radiating off from him of love, longing, passions, and sorrow. "It's good to see."

"Yes, it is." He kept his arms around her afraid that if he were to let go then something might happen and he wasn't about to take that chance. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight or are you busy?"

"I'm not busy and I'd love to."

_We Can Pretend Nothings Changed  
Pretend It's All The Same  
And There Will Be No Pain  
Tonight...  
It's Gonna Be Alright (It's Gonna be Alright) _

I Wish I Could Save You  
I Wish I Could Say To You  
I'm Not Going Nowhere (Save You)  
I Wish I Could Say To You (Say To You)  
It's Gonna Be Alright

It's Gonna Be Alright( Alright )  
It's Gonna Be Alright (Save You)  
It's Gonna Be Alright ( I Wish I Could Save You )  
It's Gonna Be Alright...

**-Fin-**

**A/N: So there you have it guys and gals! Hope y'all enjoyed it!! The double ""_"" meant that I borrowed lines from OTH and it's creators because only they could come up with something so awesome! (Just giving credit where it is due) I just love those lyrics and the way KC sings it! Oh and I know Peyton had to go to the hospital after the school shooting, but it didn't register to me when I wrote this. And lastly I always adore what that green button does! It gives reviews by you guys ;)**


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